On Friday, Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz announced that the County will issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) soliciting non-profit organizations to provide animal sheltering services for dogs and cats on a long-term basis.

It makes perfect sense for the County to take a fresh, creative approach to solving problems associated with animal care by establishing public-private partnerships with non-profit organizations that provide animal sheltering and adoption services.

Organizations would receive grant funding to offset a portion of the cost of the services and the balance of the cost would be covered by fees, sales, and other revenues from fund raising events, charitable contributions, interest earnings and endowments. The County would continue to run its own shelter, focusing on public health concerns such as rabies and cases of animal cruelty.

Public-private partnerships are agreements between private organizations and government agencies for the provision of services to the community. These partnerships cut costs, support local businesses, increase public satisfaction, and when it comes to animal care, they save lives.

Baltimore County has been studying this issue for more than a year, and this kind of private-public partnership is a blueprint for success in addressing our animal care needs. It will allow non-profits to do what they do best – providing long-term care and adoption services – while the County continues to focus on the public health issues associated with animal care.

The RFP will be formally posted online this week on the County website.